Lora is using frequently uses the Smart Tags feature of Excel for financial symbols. In the Smart Tags context menu, she selected to stop recognizing a specific set of letters as a financial symbol, since the letters were the same as the initials of her assistant. Now that the assistant is no longer with the company, Lora wants Excel to recognize these letters as a financial symbol again.
Unfortunately, there is no easy way to do this. When you excluded the letters, they were added to a file called ignore.xml. You can locate this file using the Search feature in Windows, and then you can edit it using either Word or your favorite text editor, such as Notepad. You need to be careful, however; if you mess up the file by deleting something you shouldn't (or leaving in something you shouldn't), then the Smart Tags that you previously excluded may not work properly. For this reason, it would be prudent to make a backup copy of the file before you edit it.
Once the file is open, search for the letters you no longer want excluded. Delete the entire XML item tag to which the letters belong. You can then save the file and reopen Excel. If everything went well, the letters should again be recognized with a Smart Tag.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (3094) applies to Microsoft Excel 2002 and 2003.
Comprehensive VBA Guide Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is the language used for writing macros in all Office programs. This complete guide shows both professionals and novices how to master VBA in order to customize the entire Office suite for their needs. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2010 today!
Drop-down lists are handy in an Excel worksheet, and you they can be even more handy if a selection in one drop-down ...
Discover MoreYou've turned on Highlight Changes, but how do you know what has been changed? This tip explains how Excel displays those ...
Discover MoreWant to keep track of the changes other people make to your workbook or even your own changes? Excel makes gathering this ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Excel that uses the menu interface (Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, or Excel 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments